It was late and Audrey was tired after her afternoon at work. It had been intense. They had finished to dinner.

"You should go to bed. I will clear the table and wash up."

"Jack, there is a dishwasher..."

"Okay... so I will clear the table and turn the dishwasher on," he said smiling. "Don't worry I can handle that," he added more seriously.

Audrey wasn't confident, Jack in a kitchen... she remembered the time he tried to cook something for her... it was his only try. The kitchen looked like a battlefield !

"Alright," she finally said still unconvinced before kissing him and going to bed.

It did well, no damage. He went to bed a bit later and saw that she wasn't sleeping yet.

"Still awake ?"

"I wanted to be sure that everything was alright," she told him smiling.

"I see," he kissed her and they stayed together, side by side, cuddling. After a moment Audrey broke the soothing silent.

"Jack, can I ask you something." she whispered.

"Sure," he said caressing her arm and kissing her in her neck. Seeing that she kept silent, he stopped to look at her. "Audrey, what is it ? You know that whatever it is, you can tell me," he added. And she eventually talked after a moment.

"Can you promise me that... you won't ever try again what you were about to do... when I came to your hotel room, two days ago ?" she asked.

"Oh, God ! That's what you were worried about ?" he asked, his eyes filled with regrets. "Hey, baby, it's over. Okay ? It was just a tough moment I had to go through but now it's different. I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you," he hugged her, she was shaking. "Shhh, hey. It's over. I love you and I don't want to leave you, okay ?"

She stayed in his arms a long moment. He looked at her to be sure that she had understood. She had.

"I would really appreciate if you would show me how much you love me." she said with a tense smile. Tense because of the conversation, malicious because of what she had in mind. Jack knew what she meant.

Jack smiled looking at her asleep before getting up slowly. He took his pants and walked to the kitchen without a making a noise. He didn't want to awake her. He let the coffee drip, laid the table and took the phone and a piece of paper in his wallet. He sat down at the table composing the number.

"Allô ?"

"John ?"

"Yes."

"It's Jack Bauer. How are you, boy ?"

"Jack ? Damn, I thought you were dead ! I'm okay, what about you ?"

"I'm fine, thanks. So what's up ?"

"Well... I have a stable job in a restaurant where I'm going right now and I... well it's a big news... I'm engaged."

"You're kidding ! Really ?"

"Yes !"

"Congratulations !"

"Thank you. I'm glad to hear you again."

"Thanks, me too. I just wanted to know how you were going and I'm sure you have a lot to do so... we'll talk another time, alright ?"

" Sure, I'll call you back when I have some time. "

" Alright, have a nice day."

"You too. Bye and thanks for calling."

"Bye." He hung up and remained sat at the table a moment, smiling. He got up to take two coffee cups when he heard someone behind him.

"Hi."

He turned around. "Hi honey, how are you ?"

"A little tired."

"That's understandable," Jack said starting to laugh with a mischievous look.

"It's your fault. Don't laugh at me."

Jack went round the table to be behind her and took her in his arms kissing her delicately in the neck.

"You know I would never do that. It's funny when I see you tired like this, it reminds me some mornings when we worked at DoD together and that your father didn't understand why you came half-asleep at work."

"Now, he would. You are an early rise this morning !"

"Some things to do," he said letting her go and getting the coffee.

Audrey sat down at the table and saw the piece of paper. Curious as she was she couldn't prevent herself from asking whose number it was. Jack answered as he served the coffee.

"You've known George Mason, right ?"

"Yeah," and she added "Thanks" for the coffee. "He worked at Division and then he was the CTU director for about a year I think ?"

"That's the one. Remember about the nuclear threat at the time ?"

"Of course ! What a day we had at the DoD !"

"Mason is the one who flew the plane with the bomb and this number is his son's number. He asked me to keep an eye on him just before he died."

"Oh... I thought you weren't at CTU when he was director ?"

"Yes, but they called me back that day because of a link with one of my former missions."

"So you took part of the events of that day ?"

"Yes. In fact... I was supposed to be the one flying that plane to the end."

She stayed silent, surprised, almost worried. Jack got up and walked to the living-room where he sat down on the couch still relating.

" 'The service is bad enough on this flight, you don't need to shoot me'. That's what he told me when I pointed my gun on him." He laughed remembering this. "What a guy this Mason..." he shook his head and smiled as Audrey sat near him. He drank a mouthful.

"What do you mean by 'the one who flew this plane to the end' ?"

"I had taken off but Mason was there and he convinced me to get out of it with the parachute that he had taken with him."

"I didn't know that."

"If you would know all the things I've done..." he said.

"Things worst than what I've seen you done ?" she asked drinking a mouthful in her turn.

He looked at her before answering in a sigh.

"I don't know."

"Well... anyway I don't care. It's you that I love, no matter you've done before."

"Thank you." he said softly before kissing her. His cellphone, stayed in the bedroom, rang.

"Is it yours ?"

"Yes, I think." he said smiling, "we will never be able to be in peace." He said getting up to pick up.

"Yes ?"

"Jack, it's Chloe."

"Hi ! How are you ?" he asked happy to hear her.

"Fine ! What about you ?"

"I'm okay."

"I wondered if you... well, maybe it will sound strange for you but..."

"I'm used to it with you." he said joking.

"Yeah... I wondered if you would have wanted to go seeing where you have been buried. I think you never went over there, right ?"

"You're right. Well, I have nothing to do this morning, so yes, I would appreciate that. You don't work ?"

"No, just this afternoon. For once we have a calm day."

He laughed.

"Yeah !"

They arranged the meeting before to hang up.

Jack and Chloe walked slowly to the gravestone, laughing and talking.

"It's there." she said pointing it.

Jack looked at it and asked her,

"How was it, my funerals ?"

"Well... a lot of people were present. You're famous !" she says laughing. "Most of them were from CTU... like Tony, Michelle, Buchanan or me. Palmer was also there, very affected even if he and we were aware that you were alive. Kim, Audrey, your mother... we tried to comfort them but they were heartbroken. They were also other people that I didn't know, maybe friends of yours ?"

"My mother was there ?"

"Yes, you have one, right ?" she joked.

"Yeah..." he answered almost disappointed but soon after Jack started to look around. Chloe wondered what was going on, maybe worried about being attacked by some terrorists ?

"What's wrong, Jack ?"

"Do you know why I'm buried here ?" he asked still looking around.

"Why ? Did you want a gravestone in the second path for a little more sun ?"

"No !" he answered laughing. "No, I mean, in this cemetery ?"

"Well, let me remember... I think it's your mother who decided."

"What ?" he asked surprised, turning towards her abruptly.

"Yes, it's her." she said confirming her first thought. "Why ? What's wrong ?"

Jack looked at the gravestone with a look which showed how irritated he was. Then he tried to calm down.

"Nothing... I'm gonna walk for a moment."

"Ok, I have to go to work, so..."

"Yes, it's alright. Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome." They hugged before Chloe walked away.

He stopped in front of a house. He looked around before making the last steps which separated him from the door. He pushed the doorbell and waited still looking around. He turned towards the door when he heard someone opening it. They both stayed silent a moment, face-to-face. Jack started what we could call a conversation by "Hi, you remember me at least, yeah ?"

"Of course, Jack." she said. He was impassive but she seemed glad to see him here. "Come in."

"Thanks." he simply said. She closed the door once he was inside. "So... how are you ?"

"After all this time, you ask me if I'm fine. What a polite man you became."

"Yes, my father taught me politeness." he blurted out still impassive but the motion of his hands betrayed his edginess and discontentment.

"I'm fine, what about you ?"

Jack had a forced smiled before answering. "Me ? Let me think... not very good." They kept quiet a while before Jack started to talk about the reason he was there.

"Even in death you want to separate us."

"What are you talking about ?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about. I just came back from where you had chosen to bury me." he said dryly.

"I don't understand the problem, Jack."

"You don't... I should be buried with Teri ! Not at the other side of the city !" he started raising his tone. "And now, I'm not gonna leave this house until you tell me the truth. So why ?"

"Why what ?"

"Why did you hate her so much ? Why did you never want her here ? Why did you always refuse to come at home when she was present ?" Jack continued starting to be more aggressive.

"You can't understand, Jack."

"No ! No, I can't. How do you want me to understand if you have never explained yourself to me ?" he said starting to yell.

"You want the truth ?"

"Yes. And not another bullshit like all you've already said to me." he added before to start to calm down. Well... he tried.

"Alright." she said but she continued only after a moment and after that she had seen that Jack started to be impatient. "I knew her father. He's responsible for a really bad event of my life after he had betrayed me. When I heard who she was I knew that I couldn't take the chance to let you live the same thing. That's why I tried to warn you but you didn't listen to me."

Jack kept silent but he didn't seem to understand what she was getting at.

"It's a load of crap, like all the other things you've said to me."

"No. You wanted the truth. You have it. I didn't want to have to deal with somebody like him."

"But she wasn't like him, she was his daughter !"

"She was like him."

"How can you say that ! How can you say that she was exactly like her father, you saw her once in your life !" Jack said violently. "Damn ! You..." he couldn't continue to speak with her.

"I never made mistake about someone, Jack."

"Yes you did. She never betrayed me, never." he said to her looking bitterly in her eyes. He walked a little in the room... exasperated, trembling. "You can't tell me it's just because of a fucking story about her father which happened ages ago !" he exclaimed increasing his tone.

"You wanted the truth, you have it." she simply answered.

Jack approached. "Yeah... well you should hope it is... because I won't come back to ask you again." he said looking at her with a look of rage. "All these years wasted for..." he sighed before walking to the door. He opened it and threw a last glance at her, shaking his head before closing it violently behind him